Mel Tiangco On Paying It Forward

CEBU, Philippines - Top GMA 7 news anchor Mel Tiangco may shun dipping into politics — she's rejected persistent political parties that have wooed her countless times — but she could give many a politician a run for their money in exemplifying genuine public service.

As Executive Vice President of her network's socio-civic arm, the GMA Kapuso Foundation, Mel spearheads projects to help women, children, and people from all walks of life who are in dire need. They've already sent kids for medical operations, built school buildings, organized feeding programs, given medical assistance, and helped build livelihoods. She's made trips from as far north to as far south to personally extend assistance to the country's underprivileged.

Back in 1997, Mel cheated death when she suffered a massive heart attack and had to undergo angioplasty. She lost a huge amount of blood during the operation and needed 12 bags of blood to save her. Fortunately, she came out of it fully-recovered. This led to a lifetime belief that she was spared because she still had a mission left to fulfill.

Since then, helping out our countrymen has been her way of "paying it forward."

The award-winning broadcast journalist again visited Cebu last Friday for the "Kalusugan Karavan", the Kapuso Foundation's roaming medical and dental mission undertaken in partnership with volunteer health professionals. It was held at the Barangay San Nicolas Sports Complex.

“Meron kaming nakitang bata na sabi ng nanay niya may butas sa puso. And we saw that other woman na nakaluwa na yung left eye nya,” she sympathetically begins in an interview at the Karavan venue. “Aayusin namin yung operations nila dito. You know, the fulfillment in an activity like this comes in being able to help people like them.”

According to the foundation's latest annual report, a total of 8,747 indigent individuals have so far benefited from the quarterly "Kalusugan Karavan." Aside from the medical and dental check-ups, minor surgeries were also provided. Medicines, wheelchairs and folding canes were also given out to those in need.

"We are back here every so often for our projects in the Kapuso Foundation. In June, we will be back here in Cebu for our Unang Hakbang sa Kinabukasan project," she says.

The Unang Hakbang sa Kinabukasan is the annual school opening project for incoming Grade 1 pupils from underserved public elementary schools nationwide where each beneficiary receives a backpack containing a complete set of school materials.

When asked what personal fulfillment she gets from her philanthropic work, Mel answers: "This is my way of thanking the Lord eh. It is something that will magnify the blessings that you have received. The fulfillment you get in helping others? I cannot put into words."

HER KIND OF CANDIDATE. Her job as co-anchor of GMA's primetime newscast "24 Oras" makes her in-the-know of the latest headlines and even puts her in the position of interviewing some of the personalities who are running for the May 2010 elections.

Mel frustratingly bewails that she has yet to hear a candidate with a specific answer for the country's ills.

"I want someone who will not give out rhetorical solutions to our problems. Ang gusto kong tao, na pag sinabi mong kahirapan, hindi lang niya sasabihing, '...ah papawiin ko ang kahirapan...' Hindi! Gusto kung sabihin mo kung paano mo papawiin. It's so easy to say I will stop graft and corruption. All of them every election say the same thing. Everything is a motherhood statement. I have yet to hear somebody say this is what I'm going to do and has actual, workable and effective solutions. That is the kind of candidate I want," she says.

Of course, journalism ethics prohibit her from naming names or divulging her personal leanings, but Mel has quite a different view with journalists endorsing products.

ON JOURNALISTS MAKING A PRODUCT PITCH. Quick history: Mel was a newscaster at ABS-CBN but after appearing in a laundry soap TV ad in mid-1995, she was suspended since ABS-CBN newscasters are prohibited to endorse a product.

"They booted me out eh. Yun daw ang kasalanan ko sa kanila. Their contention was that if you endorse a product, you are putting your integrity on the line."

"As far as I'm concerned, at this point in my career, which spans decades and decades, I have not once, that I know of, been involved in any issue that questioned my integrity," she continues.

"Right now, I still endorse products. Let me ask you then. Do you think I am credible journalist? Do you think I have integrity? Do you think I am an honest person? Do you think I am an asset to Philippine media?"

When the gathered writers all nodded in the positive to these questions she posed, she said:

"Very good. That answers the question then on why I don't believe I've destroyed my credibility once I endorsed a product."

"I have now worked with GMA longer than in ABS-CBN. Ten years lang ako sa kabila, I'm going 13 years here in GMA. Well, they didn't like me in ABS but they love me here."

HER WINNING TANDEM WITH MIKE. What does she think makes her combination with co-anchor Mike Enriquez click?

"Oh 'coz it's like Beauty and the Beast!," she quickly quips.

"No, no, no, seriously I think we click because we genuinely like each other. We respect each other's work and for our individual roles in our company. He's president of our radio network and I'm vice-president of the Kapuso Foundation. We respect each other's territory. And we are very friendly with each other. We really are. And I think the televiewers can see that on TV, walang kaplastikan. Sometimes at the end of the show, I would say, 'O Mike, mag- blow out ka naman.' That comes from a friend to a friend."

STAYING FIT. Mel has a mini-gym at home that allows her to exercise any time of the day she wants.

"I do the treadmill every other day. Sometimes, ala una ng madaling araw, if I still don't feel like sleeping, I jump on the treadmill."

"To unwind naman, I have a massage every other day. I also read and I like having out of town trips. I like going to Cebu very much. Pag yung staff ko nag-a-out of town, naiinggit ako talaga!"

She shares her recent trip was to Subic with her whole family during the Holy Week break. 

At this stage in her life when she seems to have achieved and done it all, we asked her if there are some things from her bucket list that have yet to be ticked off. We expected an answer that was a personal undertaking like maybe visiting some famous landmark in the world or doing something outrageous. But even then, she still had her tireless mission in mind.

With frustration in her eyes, she tells us: "There is so much to do. For one, I want to go to Benguet and help the people there. There is so much to do for our people especially in the aspects of poverty, health, education... And I'm not saying that as someone who is looking forward to be a politician, but because this is what I see. You have no idea sa hirap ng mga kababayan natin."